Astronaut Surf Dance

. .

. .

. .

8'8" Mid-Simmons

.

A mid-size Simmons, my best guess at the original template. It's 8'8" x 24" x 3". XPS core from recycled sources, 2x6oz s-glass on both sides, lam with C3D epoxy, hot and fill coats with Resin-X, finish with 1K poly spray (a strange mix of toxic and recycled sources). The keels are G&S glass-on, classic fish. Next time, I'm going make myself a pair of Simmons keels. It's a short Simmons, not like the Casper or mini-Simmons boards. The template comes from images in TSJ and the book of Greg Noll surfboards. How does it ride? Super-early takeoff, very fast down the line. Get the whole rail in the face right away and you have it all; needs clean waves of any size; competes with any log; can be ridden on the nose.

Knowing is half the battle ...

The Baroness, still looking good! Destro, so lucky.

Red Sled

It’s 6’2” x 23” x 3”. Stringer-less (recycled) EPS core. 2 x 6oz s-glass on both sides laminated with Resin Research epoxy. This is just before sanding & finish coat. It has a thick, crescent tail that I put there solely for visual reasons. The rails are 50/50 throughout. The bottom has belly throughout. The deck is flat. I kept it wide for earlier takeoff, an important asset around here. It’s only been in the water a few times. I just can’t get used to a board this short, despite the float and the weight. I’ve used it as a kneeboard. It worked well for stuffing the whole inside rail into some small faces, then pulling up on the outside rail. I’d like to get comfortable with this board and make more like it, probably thinner noses & tails, but keep the width

Good days of surf

Here is by brother-in-law on a great wave at M*****. It was an insanely good day and we each got just a few waves. Usually, I never bother driving down there when you have W********* and S****** right there in I********. He couldn't look more like Greg Noll if he had stripes tattooed on his a**. He was riding the same board (same a** too) during Hurricane Bill and looking just as good.

Here’s, one of me on a nice little wave in S*******. Some of you know it’s paradise for logging. I’m on my favorite board, an A*** K**** that’s *’*”, single f**. This was small day of the trip, though it never really got bigger than a consistent chest-high. A surfer from AL, staying on the beach for the winter, took the pictures then burned me a CD in his hut. We’re back there this winter.

One day late ...